Game #14
Lindenwood (6-7, 0-0 OVC)
vs. Southern Indiana (3-10, 0-0 OVC)
Match Information:
Date: Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023
Location: St. Charles, Mo.
Venue: Hyland Arena
Tip-Off: 2:30 p.m. CT
All-Time Series: 0-6
Last Meeting: L, 64-74 Live Video: Watch

Matchup
The Lindenwood men's basketball team returns home from winter break as they start Ohio Valley Conference against a familiar foe in Southern Indiana. Both teams are in their second season at the Division I level after making the transition from the GLVC. LU has a 6-7 record heading into OVC play.

Lindenwood finished their 2023-24  non-conference schedule with a win over Rockford University by a final score of 81-54. The Lions had three double-digit scorers including Keenon Cole with a team high 18 points. As a team, LU shot 55.4% from the field marking the second time they have shot above 50%.

Southern Indiana comes into St. Charles with a 3-10 record in their non-conference portion of the season. The Screaming Eagles played two Power Five opponents which included an 18-point loss to Duke, but were leading at the half in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Their last victory was against the University of St. Francis (Ill.) by a final score of 79-47. They take on SEMO to start OVC play on Friday evening.

Through 13 non-conference games, the Lions shot 41.6% from the floor while shooting 73.7% from the foul line (third in the OVC). Lindenwood has been led by Cole and Darius Beane who are the only double-digit scorers on the team. The duo accounts for 46% of the Lions' scoring this season. 

To begin the season, the Lions were picked to finish 10th in the Ohio Valley Conference as they begin their second Division I season in program history under head coach Kyle Gerdeman.

Player to Watch
Jeremiah Talton, 6-6 guard transfer from John Wood CC, is the third leading scorer for the Lions after averaging 7.9 points per game in 13 contests. Talton has scored in double-digits four times including a career high 15 points vs. Rockford. He has started the last nine games for Lindenwood.

Talton comes into Ohio Valley Conference play as Lindenwood's best three-point shoot after hitting 36.2% from behind the arc. He has tripled 17 times this season which is second on the team only behind Keith Haymon II (18). He also leads the team in free-throw percentage with a 88.0% (22-25) including going 7-7 vs. Rockford.

He also limits his turnovers with only seven on the season and one in his last six games. His season highlights including 13 points at Power Five opponent Iowa State where he shot 4-8 from the floor and scoring 12 points and grabbing seven rebounds at Idaho State.

OVC Top Ten
With his average of 17.6 points per game, Cole is second in the conference in scoring. His 229 total points is now ranked third among all players in the OVC. Not only his he effective from the floor, but Cole's 79.7% from the FT ranks seventh in the OVC. Cole's 59 made foul shots also ranks first. He is averaging the fourth most minutes in the conference (32.6). Cole also ranks 12th in FG% sitting at 43.9%.

Beane sits just outside the top ten in the scoring rankings in the OVC after averaging 13.3 points this season. His scoring output has dropped the last two games after posting only six points at Missouri State and scoring seven vs. Rockford. He still ranks fifth in the OVC in FG percentage at 48.6%.

Colin Ruffin has also been active on defense averaging the third most steals in the entire conference with an average of 1.5. He has a total of 20 steals this season during his freshman campaign which is third in the OVC. He was also a one-time OVC Freshman of the Week selection.

OVC Preseason Rankings
In a vote of Ohio Valley Conference head men's basketball coaches and communication directors, Morehead State has been picked the preseason favorites for the 2023-24 season. It marks the second-straight year the Eagles have been tabbed the favorites.
 
The Eagles picked up 20 of 22 first-place votes (teams could not vote for themselves); Tennessee State picked up the other votes.  MSU tallied 200 points and was followed by SIUE (162), who was picked second. Tennessee State (153) was picked third and followed by UT Martin (149), Southeast Missouri (124), Tennessee Tech (120), Little Rock (85), Western Illinois (80), Southern Indiana (63), Lindenwood (40) and Eastern Illinois (34).

Scouting Southern Indiana
The Screaming Eagles are coached by Stan Gouard who is entering his fourth season at USI. Gouard has led the Screaming Eagles through the Division I transition period including picking up a 16-17 record last year including a 9-9 OVC record. In his four season, Gouard has a career record of 49-40.

Jeremiah Hernandez has scored in double-digits eight times this season and leads the Screaming Eagles in scoring averaging 12.5 points per game. He scored a season high 24 points vs. Tiffin and put up 15 at Duke. Hernandez is shooting 39.5% from the floor while making 75.4% from the line.

AJ Smith is their season leading scorer after posting 11.6 ppg and grabs 9.5 rebounds per game. Smith, in his second season at USI, has started every game this season. He scored a career high 21 points vs. Chicago State while grabbing 16 boards. He also had a double-double at Duke (11 pts, 13 rebs).

Head Coach: Kyle Gerdeman
Kyle Gerdeman enters his fifth year at the helm of the Lindenwood men's basketball program in the 2023-24 season. The Lions concluded their inaugural Division I season in 2022-23 where Gerdeman led the Lions to an appearances in the OVC Tournament after a wild finish to the season.

The Lions took down in-state rival Southeast Missouri State in double-overtime to keep their postseason hopes alive.  In the final game of the regular season, Lindenwood needed a win to move on, and Kevin Caldwell Jr. answered the call with a game-winning bucket in overtime.

Lindenwood led the OVC in free-throw percentage (75.6), and was second in the OVC in three-point percentage (39.1).  Chris Childs held the top spot in the league with a free-throw percentage of 92.7, while Keenon Cole was atop the OVC with a three-point percentage of 51.0 percent.  The Lions clawed their way to three overtime wins on the season.  Lindenwood also posted two comeback victories from 20 points down, and another 17-point comeback during OVC play.

Up Next
The Lions hit the road for their first away OVC matchup as they go to OVC newcomer Western Illinois on Saturday, Jan. 6. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. in Macomb, Ill. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.